Everything Has Changed
by Phemie
Summary: After being taken from her home in Gavaldon, Seluna must find a way to survive the School for Good and maybe make some friends along the way. If only that putrid slug Ade hadn't come here with her... (Rated T because of future strong languages, violence and possible minor sexual references)
1. Chapter 1

**A/U: Hey guys! So this is a story I'm writing with my best friend iloveunicorns13. We both write each chapter. For this one I've written it and she added in the beginning paragraph and the end. Hope you like it. **

Lights flashing red, red as blood. Between the flashes, Seluna could see herself as a tiny child holding a white rose. Flash. Then a hand was twining the rose through her hair. Flash. Then she was older, perhaps seven or eight. Flash. She was staring at the open page of a fairytale book. There was a prince and princess kissing. True love's kiss, and The End was written underneath it. Flash. "I think I'm in love." Flash. "He's using you." Flash. Seluna's blood on the cobblestones. Flash. Once beautiful green eyes dulling to obsidian black, a colour so sharp it could draw blood. Black swallowing Seluna up, so it was all she could see. She was drowning in it. Then a white swan flew across her vision and something new began.

Seluna awoke from the dream at exactly three o'clock, as she did every night. The dream was always the same, and always different. Seluna turned over, she needed to fall back to sleep.

As she walked down to the square, Seluna took in the frantic parents, muddying children and making them kick cats or smile at the elderly. She new it was in vain. Each year the parents of Gaveldon tried to counter their children's deeds by muddying the good's faces or making the evil hand out cakes to the less fortunate.

Each year two children were taken, regardless of how muddy their face and clothes were or how many cakes they had handed out. Two children would go this year too. Besides, she thought, the chances of _her_ being taken were slim. She was once a bright, cheerful girl. Always on the lookout for someone to help. But now she kept to herself. Seluna used to believe in kindness and honesty. She used to want to make her life make a difference. But then she discovered what betrayal was. She shuddered at the memory and pushed it down. She never tried to make friends. After all, if you don't let them in, they can't hurt you.

Well, one thing was certain. Ade would be taken for evil. Slimy, putrid Ade. Seluna's only wish was that tomorrow she wouldn't be within spitting distance of that slug. Ade was hated by any girl with half a brain in her head, but by Seluna more than anyone. The problem was, she _knew_ him. Better than she wanted to. She could see through his tricks and his pretences. If he's nice sometimes, and evil others, that just made him all the more evil.

Seluna waited in the shadows. Verra was with Ade, and Seluna didn't fancy barging in on that meeting. Seluna's best friend was one of the girls in Gavaldon who didn't have half a brain in her head. Verra and Ade were best friends. Seluna spotted them outside Verra's house, talking. Ade was as repulsive as always, Verra's pretty, heart shaped face tilted up to look at him, intent on his every word. They hugged. Seluna swallowed the sick feeling in her throat.

Verra stayed outside until Ade was long gone. Seluna rose from her crouch.

"Verra."

"Hi Sel."

"You know Ade will be taken."

"I don't know that for sure. He's really quite ni-"

"He's using you."

Verra winced, "No time for niceties today?"

"Everyone thinks that you'll be put in Good."

"They're wrong. I'm friends with Ade, remember?"

"He's your good deed."

"You know me well enough by now. I'll be in be in my own bed tomorrow morning."

"Verra..."

"I know. Everything will be different tomorrow. Ade won't be able to touch either of us."

"You really have no idea what he did to me, do you?"

"I don't understand Ade. But I understand you."

"Really?"

"You're so selfless, Seluna. You're beautiful and caring. But you hide your face behind your hair, scared that someone will knock you down if you expose it to the light. If I were to be taken tonight, I would miss you." Verra surprised Seluna by enveloping her in a hug. It was only Ade that had kept the apart in the last few months, thought Seluna. Still, maybe their friendship wasn't meant to be. Our lives are separating now, anyway, she thought. Seluna had no idea how right she was.

When Seluna went to sleep that night, she thought she saw a shadow flitting across her window...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

**A/N. Hey guys! Here is Chapter 2. Sorry for the irregular posting. Please feel free to review. Don't forget to check out my co-author iloveunicorns13! This chapter is longer too! It will introduce to Mia our other protagonist.**

"Have you got all your stuff packed dear?" asked Queen Filadoro.  
>"Oh, yes mother," said Mia as her mind snapped back to the present.<br>"And you have your Flower Ground ticket?" the queen inquired.  
>"Yes mother. There is no need to make such a fuss," Mia stated in a monotone.<br>"Well finish your supper, get into your evening gown and come down for your leaving gathering in the sitting room."  
>"Yes mother," Mia sighed. The royal family of Speranza finished their supper without one more word.<p>

Mia padded to her quarters and flung herself on her bed. Her mother was always worrying. Her father was more lenient but her brother was a downright pain. She was quite relieved, yet quite distraught, that she would be leaving them tomorrow to go to the School for Good and Evil. Of course she didn't have to worry about failing. If her family so much as thought she would fail and endure some sort of unthinkable horror they would appeal for her to be removed from the school. She pitied those who weren't so lucky.  
>"Oh well," she sighed to herself. "I should probably finish packing."<p>

Not long after Mia walked lazily down the stairs to the sitting room. Her mother sat laughing with her father, golden hair flowing in waves. Her dress was a magnificent burnt orange that got darker the further down you went so it gave the illusion that her hair and dress were one. Mia had not inherited her mother's looks. Her dark hair that fell about her spotlessly white face was the  
>anthesis of Filadoro's.<p>

Her parents turned and smiled at Mia.  
>"Do join us," her mother said. "Your grandmother is coming shortly. I shall send a maid to fetch your brother."<br>Mia sat cautiously. Her parents continued as if she weren't their and before long her brother appeared. "Marco, come here!" Mia beckoned. Her brother sighed and sat beside her. "You're so embarrassing Mia!" He exclaimed. "Hey none of your friends are here! How can I possibly be embarrassing you?!" Mia teased. "You just are!" her brother moaned.  
>Mia frowned and walked over to a mahogany cabinet and turned a bronze key in the lock. She pulled open the door and brought out a box.<br>She stared at its rich colour and the gold plated engraving of her family crest. Mia took the box to where her brother was sitting, opened it and took out a wooden board. She placed it on the ground. She reached into a small compartment that was impossible to spot unless you knew it was there and pulled out some carved figures. The side of her finger grazed the deep red velvet and she shuddered at the uncomfortable feeling. Mia carefully set out the pieces on the board. Ebony on one side, ivory on the other. Once the pieces were perfectly aligned she moved the box to the side and smiled at her brother.  
>"Let's play one last game of chess Marco. For old times sake."<br>"If you wish," he feigned indifference, but really he was touched.  
>They played for a while, their parents watching them in content silence.<br>"Will you take the chess board with you?" asked Marco.  
>"You should keep it. I'm sure I will be able to get another one."<p>

Later, an old woman in a thick plum dress and white, fur lined cloak arrived. The "one last game" had turned into "one last tournament". The old woman laughed at the sight before her.  
>"Well, I see you two are as competitive as ever!" the woman chuckled.<br>"Grandmother!" the children cried in unison.  
>"Well hello my grandchildren!" Their grandmother said.<br>Mia escorted her grandmother to her seat by the fire.  
>"Hello mother," Filadoro smiled.<br>"Hello dear," her mother said in passing.  
>"Well Mia I hear you have a big day ahead of you!"<br>"Yes Grandmother," Mia laughed.  
>"I have my first day at the School for Good!"<br>"Ah yes! I knew there was a reason I had brought you presents!" Her grandmother joked.  
>Slowly the woman pulled a satchel from her bag.<br>She pulled out a leather bound book with the words "The Complete Collection of Fairy Tales" written in italics on the front.  
>"It updates itself," her grandmother said. "New stories all the time. Every time a fairy tale is finished. Every fairy tale since the War," her grandmother went quite for a moment. Next she pulled out a large, soft and oddly shaped package and small box with the family coat of arms engraved on it. "I won't tell you what it is yet but open it for the Snow Ball. And that box is an enchanted music box. Don't open that yet either."<br>Finally her grandmother brought out an oddly familiar box.  
>"Your chess set!" Mia exclaimed.<br>"Chess, checkers and draughts!" her grandmother added.  
>"Well Lucinda that is quite a lot!" the king exclaimed.<br>"Oh, nonsense Fiero!" Lucinda cried. "This may well be the last time I see my darling granddaughter!"  
>"That is quite enough mother!" Filadoro shouted, angry. The king and queen wanted minimum fuss over their daughter's departure, for Mia's sake.<br>"It's alright Grandmother. I'll be here in my Ever After." Lucinda nodded kindly. Everyone had the suspicion in their minds that Lucinda might not live to see the end of Mia's fairytale.  
>"Here dear open our gift," Filadoro said quietly.<br>Mia opened it slowly.  
>Another leather bound book, but not one of fairy tales. She opened it. It was filled with watercolour paintings of the Palace of Speranza and it's family. "It's a scrap book dear. You can use it when you're homesick and add things in. You just need to dip the paintbrush inside the spine into water and imagine what you want to see as you brush it onto the page!" her mother cried in excitement. "Thank you all for your wonderful gifts," Mia muttered. Her grandmothers words had hit her hard. She stayed long after everyone left, only leaving to pack her presents into her bag.<br>Four hours later, when the autumn sun had long since disappeared and the moon had secured a place in the dark sky, Mia fell asleep in front of the fireplace in the sitting room, clutching her book of fairy tales. She dreamt of her grandmother, of a school she had never seen and a future as bright as the sun. A future she could only begin to imagine...


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Sorry about the glitches guys. There was a huge issue and hopefully it won't happen again. Thanks for sticking with us. Chapter 4 is on its way after we try to fix what happened with 3. We're working on the first draft of chapter 5. Love you guys. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The world was indistinct shadows. Seluna was being dragged from her room. She new that she was being dragged, because she could feel the touch of something alien on her skin. But even that knowledge was deceptive, because it felt more like flying. Flying at light speed. Seluna knew what was happening. She also knew that it <em>couldn't<em> be happening. Not to her. This was a dream, she thought, yet another of her subconscious' crazy make believes. Seluna blinked her eyes very very fast. Flashes. As usual. And there was the red coming, a bright circle lightening as it spread outwards. A sunset. In her dream she was being taken to the School, she realised. Seluna wished Gavaldon goodbye.  
>"Goodbye, mother and father. Goodbye bookstore, butchers, bakery. Goodbye, Verra's house. I'm off to become a beautiful princess." Seluna smiled as the woods began to close around her. This dream was turning out better than she thought. She was pulled through the woods, her feet dragging in dead leaves. She came to a sudden stop at the foot of a tall evergreen. Fir, she thought. It didn't really matter. It was just a dream after all. What happened after was a blur. She felt branches move around her and needles poke her fair skin. The next thing shesaw was the forest moving beneath her as sunlight began breaking though the clouds. The dream would be over soon. She knew it. Finally as the woods disappeared behind her she was aware of another body beside her. As she turned to look she felt a flip and she screamed in shock as claws caught her in their grip. A more masculine scream came from her left but before she could register it she fell.<p>

Seluna was flying through the air. It rushed through her and whistled in her ears. Her hair and nightgown flowed around her as she cut through the cool autumn air in the first rays of sun. She spread her arms, mimicking wings. Her breathing was calm despite her free falling form. Her dream would be over soon. She could feel it. She embraced it. Just as her body was enveloped in the cool, clear water did she truly awaken. It was in that moment of waking she realised she wasn't dreaming at all.

She panicked. Where was she? Could she really be at the school? She opened her eyes but they were clogged with water, she couldn't see. Seluna shut them again quickly.

_You're so selfless, Seluna. You're beautiful and caring._ It was a mere echo in Seluna's brain, who had said that? Verra. Yes, Verra had said that yesterday. Seluna smiled. Ade would be here, on the other side, at Evil. So Verra was safe. Verra could be happy. Seluna had little regard left for her own fate; she doubted she could flourish in the School for Good. Being a princess was once her childhood dream, but no longer. If I am to suffer here, so be it, she thought. Ade would be in a completely different school so Seluna could surely, not have any serious problems. Her mind registered her lungs crus for air. They burned in her chest. Air. She needed air. Seluna pushed up. At least she hoped it was up. She pushed and pushed, resisting the urge to breathe and choke on the beautiful, deadly water. Just as she was about to give in to the burning her head broke the surface. She heaved in clean air, opened her eyes and briefly took in her surroundings. Seluna swam to the shore of Good. Her hands met the glistening green grass and she pushed her body out of the crystalline water. She stood up and pushed her damp blonde hair out of her face. She looked around. She was really here. She was really at the School for Good. She looked up at the castle only to find 118 eyes looking at her. She stared bemused at 59 beautiful princesses and 59 stared back at her. One of them opened her mouth and spoke but Seluna's ears didn't listen. "What?" she asked. The girl sighed, smiled and opened her mouth.


End file.
